Maximum Crosswind

[Holcombe]

I'll try that. I've been avoiding three point on take off, but have learned to use much more aleron control as I've become more comfortable with just how much we can do.
I love my 7CCM Champ.

[skyking3286]

The FAA has a crosswind formula for certification. It has to be 1.2 times the stall speed. So you can figure that a Chief stalls at 39 mph and do the math. It's not that much of a crosswind. And that's a good safe figure to go by when you are starting out or don't want to risk bending these classic planes.

7.8 mph direct cross wind...

Mind you, I've seen NTSB reports of people ground looping them in 5 mph winds!

Mark

[Rodney Zapf]

I recently finished a complete restoration on my 1941 Aeronca Chief LB, all new wood, covering and rebuilt engine. I have a fair amount of tail dragger time but only about 6 hours in the "chief". I got a surprise while flying a few days ago when the wind shifted to 90 degrees and increased to 8 -10 knots, gusting.

I was more than a little nervous about the landing and stayed overhead for about 45 minutes waiting for conditions to improve. This not happening, I practiced a little slow flight at around 40 mph, then a little wing down-top rudder practice and decided to go for it. There is grass between the two hard surface runways but I wasn't certain of the surface so I decided on the black top.

I slowed the aircraft down to around 45 on short final, lowered the wing, put in enough top rudder to align and hold the aircraft straight down the run way and dropped her on. After a short bounce, I got the yoke back (where it should have been in the first place) and held on, doing a "quick dance" on the rudders until I could apply both brakes (heel/mechanical) simultaneously.

Needless to say I was quite relieved when able to turn off unto the taxi-way. I would have to say that for the "less experienced" pilot, 8 to 10 knots of direct crosswind would be about max for comfort/safety and much less with a quartering tail-wind.

Rod Zapf

[Dusty]

The oleos do just fine in any landing configuration, but they're different than bungee gear. You can use brakes to suck them in. Wiggling the stick around won't help much until you get to the speed where they were going to come down anyway.

The oleos do indeed have a little "push" which might be enough to get you in trouble in a crosswind if you were doing something stupid already. I've taxied mine all over rough and steep beaches in all sorts of wind and never had a problem, but your mileage may vary. I've never noticed any uncontrollable propensity for the oleos to push me around on takeoff, and I don't smartly rotate.

The full-stick-back takeoff is not the shortest takeoff method, nor is having your tailwheel down advisable for soft field operations. (Tailwheel up until she'll almost fly, then tailwheel ALMOST to the ground and simultaneous full aileron to get one wing flying will get you off shorter than any other technique. She'll come off the ground a little sideways, with the "outside" wing flying and the "inside" not so much, but she'll come off. Don't ever try this.)

I always "drag" an unfamiliar surface, and I very seldom find any surprises after doing so. (Very soft conditions can be tricky, but those don't really happen under grass.) It's a valuable skill to develop.

My primary instructor once told me that flying is just making the airplane do exactly what you want it to, and I completely concur. Passively letting the airplane do whatever it wants will bend things.

(And an Aeronca will nose over just fine.)

[mike newall]

'Ickle Airplanes

Had a day some time ago - Trusty 7AC, A-65 - you know, winter day, nice, chilly, windy - you just have to fly.

Snag was it was 20 across............

Asked if I 'had' to use the grass runway as the taxiway was much better. No !

OK.

I lined up at 45 across the runway and took off across the runway.

Great 30 minutes around the area.

Came to approach - Hmmmph I thought.

Shot the approach, put the upwind wheel on the centerline, ran down it for 100yds and then took off.

Next approach same but landed, taxied back in and returned to the clubhouse for my bollocking !!

Big Airplanes

Came back into Leeds (runway 32, hill, short) and the spot wind on the display at 10 mile final was 230/73kts - 90 across. I was looking down the runway out of the F/O's window !

He looked like a startled rabbit - I calmed him down and said I needed a wind at 300ft, it was in limits (32kts across) and we landed.

Darn it I hate earning my wage !!!!!!!!

[joea]

Dont you love the looks the copilot gives you when you do something like this!

Hope I was not as bad when I was in the right seat!